BATMAN STRIKES AGAIN
Bershawn "Batman" Jackson ran the fastest time this year in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 48.75 seconds.
MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2007
WWW.KANSAN.COM
FRANKBURY DAYS KANSAS
8B
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
PAGE 1B
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Clock ticks as Rush weighs career options
BY MICHAEL PHILLIPS
With only six days remaining to declare for the NBA Draft, there's still no word on Brandon Rush's decision, and don't expect one anytime soon.
The sophomore guard has said he would leave for the draft if he thought he would be the 20th pick or better. Three draft-projection Web sites have him ranked as 20, 21 and 22.
other strong NBA prospects to stay in school so his name moves up in the rankings.
He'll have to make his decision by this Sunday. The NBA has given players until midnight to state their intentions.
Even if Rush declares for the draft, NBA rules
Rush
allow him to withdraw within the next couple months after visiting and
working out with teams interested in him. That's what Rush did out of high school. He tested the professional waters and backed out when he realized he would not be a high selection. He then came to Kansas.
A player is only allowed to withdraw from the draft twice, so if Rush were to go down that route this year, he would be unable to in the future.
This week turns into a waiting game as Rush takes stock of the draft landscape. Scouts say there is a strong case for him to stay as well as turn pro.
His age is one factor that is repeatedly mentioned. He is only a sophomore but turns 22 before the 2007-2008 NBA season starts. With short career spans, professional basketball players have a small window of time in which to make their money, which could fuel his desire to turn pro sooner.
As a guard this season, Rush was the only player to start all 38 games for the team. He was the key player in several games, notably the tournament victory against Southern Illinois.
During the tournament, and since the season ended, he has maintained that he has not made a decision about the draft. He reportedly met with coach Bill Self on Thursday before Self left for a weekend recruiting trip but that meeting was only to touch base and was not about any specific decision.
NBA scouts love Rush's athleticism and size. He's 6-foot-6 and made 43 percent of his three-pointers this season. However, at times he hesitated to take shots and lacked a consistent playmaking ability.
Rush's teammates said they would like him to stay but would support him whatever decision he made. With the loss of Rush and sophomore forward Julian Wright, the Jayhawks would be set back for next season.
No matter which way Rush decides, it is unlikely he will make his decision known early this week.
Kansan senior sportswriter Michael Phillips can be contacted at mphillips@ kansan.com.
Edited by Katie Sullivan
KANSAS RELAYS
Amanda Sellers/KANSAN
Sophomore Sha'Ray Butler jumps the last hurdle during the finals of the women's 400-meter hurdles on Saturday afternoon. Butler's time of 59.54 seconds was 0.99 seconds faster than her best qualifying time on Friday.
Final day sees Jayhawk winners, world-best time
BY TAYLOR BERN
Fans saw several great performances at the final day of the 80th Kansas Relays.
The main attraction, Bershawn "Batman" Jackson, put up the best time in the world this year in the 400-meter hurdles, crossing the line in 48.75 seconds.
"I feel had there not been so much wind, I would have easily ran sub 0:48," Jackson said. "I had (adjust my strategy) because the
wind threw me off."
Also, in the men's invitational pole vault leaf Hartwig soared above the competition to win the event with a clearing height of 18-09.
Nichole Denby narrowly beat 2004 Olympic champion Joanna Hayes in the 100-meter hurdles, winning the race by 0.06 seconds.
Kansas had plenty of success on Saturday as well, with sophomores Sha'Ray Butler and Victoria Howard each getting victories on the track
Howard finished the 100-meter dash in 11.58 seconds while Butler ran a personal-best time of 59.44 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles.
and senior Eric Babb winning the long jump.
Babb was the real surprise story for the Jayhawks, jumping from the middle of the pack to the top of the podium.
"Now that the weather is nice, I felt like I could out and run a nice race." Butler said.
"It was pretty crazy to see my winning mark," Babb said. "I wasn't expecting my first jump in the finals to do so well. When I saw that mark, I knew I was going to be able to jump well today."
Junior Ashley Brown competed in the invitational 100- and 400-meter hurdle races, getting close to the Kansas record in the 100-meter hurdles. Brown finished with a sixth place time of 13.33 seconds in the 100 hurdles and then came in fourth in the 400
hurdles with a season-best time of 58.48 seconds.
Kansan sportswriter Taylor Bern can be contacted at Tbern@kansan.com.
Edited by Lisa Tilson
FOR MORE ON THE KANSAS RELAYS, SEE PAGES 7B AND 8B.
SOFTBALL
Kansas comes out of slump
Jayhawks conquer Red Raiders in Texas
BY EVAN KAFARAKIS
The team took out a recent slump on Texas Tech (18-23, 1-9) this past weekend in Lubbock, Texas, sweeping the Red Raiders 4-1 and 5-3.
Kansas was finally able to put a run on the board after four games and 31 innings.
The layhawks have a nine-game winning streak against the Red Raiders that dates back to May 2003.
Kansas (29-18-1, 5-8) was off to an early lead in Sunday's game, something the team hasn't done in two weeks.
"We haven't proven all year that we are a good come-from-behind team," coach Tracy Bunge said.
Instead of having to come from behind, the Jayhawks had to strike first. They are 25-3 this season when they put the first run on the board.
Kansas' early offensive problems with runners on base were corrected right away when sophomore designated player Elle Pottorf hit a single with the bases loaded in the first inning, bringing in two runs.
The scoring continued as Kansas scored one run each in the second, third and fourth innings.
Pottorf led the offense, going 2-for-3 with two RBI, along with freshman second baseman Sara Ramirez, who went 2-for-3 with two solo
BASEBALL
SEE SOFTBALL ON PAGE 6B
Jayhawks avoid weekend sweep in Lubbock
BY ALISSA BAUER
Allowing just one run in 5/2/3 innings of work, Marceli (4-2) and the Jayhawks picked up their first series finale victory of the conference season Sunday against the Texas Tech Red Raiders, 8-1.
Nearing their first series Big 12 Conference sweep this season, coach Ritch Price and the Jayhawks put their hopes of salvaging the weekend on freshman left Wally Maricel.
He came through.
"I've been really proud of his development," Price said. "He hasn't even allowed an earned run in the month
Marciel's first Big 12 start was decided after fellow left-hander Nick Czyz was taken out of the rotation for the weekend because of a sore tricep. Marciel's start, however, looked like anything but a first. And with the help of the offense Kansas has been more accustomed to in past seasons, Marciel had plenty of room to get confy.
of April, except for that home run today. He pitched the Hawaii high school pitcher of the year today."
Kansas (20-25, 6-12) took its first lead on a two-out rally in the top of the second. With two down, junior second baseman Ryne Price reached on a third
strike that got away from catcher Matt Smith. A single from junior utility man Casey Larson, who filled in at first base on Sunday, kept the inning going for junior designated hitter Joe Servais.
Servais took off on a pitch from Cory Large. Large, who made his fourth appearance of the season after being injured for two months, surrendered the first Jayhawk lead of the weekend as Servais' double scored Price.
The Red Raider designated hitter did some damage in the bottom of the third. The first and only home run of the weekend came when Chris Richburg led off the inning with a solo
Junior left fielder John Allman kicked off the scoring rally and the next four lawhaves walked safely to base.
Using three different Red Raider relievers, three walks, one beamed batter and just one hit, the Jayhawks put three runs on board in the top of the sixth to taking back the lead.
blast to center field and tied the game.
A double by Erik Morrison was the only hit of the inning as relievers Chris Ortmeier and Josh Scofield combined and walked three straight Jayhawks,
SEE BASEBALL ON PAGE 6B
Karl Andersson/THE DAILY TOREADOR
Freshman third baseman Roby Price tags out a texas Tech batser enumerator. Kansas defeated Texas Tech 8-1 on Sunday in Lubbock, Price scored one run for Kansas in the top of the first.